WILL JAPS. BECOME "BACK-STABBERS?"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 247, 18 October 1941, Page 7

WILL JAPS. BECOME "BACK-STABBERS?"

NEW PREMIER CHOSEN Cabinet Believed Pro-Axis And Militaristic United Press Association.—Copyright. Rec. noon. TOKYO, Oct. 17. The Emperor of Japan commanded Lieutenant-General Hideki Tojo, Minister for War in the Konoye Ministry, to form a Cabinet. An earlier message said that the elder statesmen selected the newPrime Minister. The United Press Tokyo correspondent stated reliably that the new Prime Minister and the Cabinet will be strongly pro-Axis and militaristic. The choice of General Tojo, who is notoriously anti-British, is regarded in London as ominous. All the London newspapers believe the resignation of tne Cabinet at a critical moment in the Russo-German war means that the Japanese militarists have won the day in Japan.* They believe they may now take up for Germany the role of "backstabber" which Italy played during the colI lapse of France. Swift naval and military moves may now precipitate a crisis in the Far East.

The United Press Tokyo correspondent in another dispatch says the new Cabinet will be strongly proAxis and militaristic. First Reaction in Washington The first reaction in Washington' to the selection of General Tojo was relief, says the United Press correspondent. but diplomats warned against jumping to conclusions before the Cabinet is known. General Tojo is regarded there as among the more conservative of the aggressive nationalists. It is said that he is not particularly interested in German3''s fate and has consistently supported Prince Konoye's moderate policies.

The new Prime Minister is at present engaged in selecting his Cabinet. The Emperor summoned Admiral Oikawa, presumably to command him as the representative of the Navy to support the new Army Cabinet. General Tojo was given immediate support by General Sugivama, Chief of tne General Staff and General Yamada, Inspector of Military Education.

Diplomatic circles in Tokyo point out that while the Tojo Cabinet will be the first full-dress militarv Government with tne Army openlv responsible for decisions instead of being screened behind a civilian Prime Minister, it is not necessarily pro-Axis.

The Domei news agencv declared that the Government's poiicy fundamentally will be unchanged. This source quoted informed circles as saying that the new Cabinet will continue discussions with the United States and in effect will preserve peace.

The Washington correspondent of the Associated Press of America says authoritative quarters indicated that all American merchant ships had been ordered out of Japanese and Chinese waters because of the Far East situation.

In a thumbnail sketch of the new Prime Minister, the Japan Photo Library (Tokyo) stated: Known as a man with a razor-sharp intelligence, Hideki Tojo (formerly War Minister) is the sort of soldier who is always two jumps ahead of the other fellow on the chessboard of strategy. A soldier, he says, has no time for hobbies. But when he drinks—which he does occasionally —he can make it an all-night affair without a hangover. Tough is the word. He is the first in his post to use the aeroplane exclusively in reaching anywhere and everywhere in the empire where routine business requires his presence. His previous posts were Chief of Staff of the Kwangtung Army, War ViceMinister, and Inspector-General of Military Aviation. WHAT LONDON THINKS British omcial Wire Jess. Rec. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY, Oct 17. The fall of Prince Konove's Government and the attempt of General Tojo to form a new Ministry is not causing undue perturbation in London. While there have been few indications—apart from belligerent speeches—of Japanese intentions in the future, it is felt that her commitments on several fronts simultaneously call into question her capacity for decisive action on any one of them. JAPANESE BONDS FALL Rec. 12.30 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 17. A sharp fall in Japanese bonds has been the outstanding feature of a generally depressed Stock Exchange. Prices throughout moved to lower levels.